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Wellness
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
What is HPV?
HPV (Human Papillomavirus) is a common virus that affects both females and males. Most types of HPV are harmless, do not cause any symptoms, and go away on their own.
About 30 types of HPV are known as genital HPV since they affect the genital area. Some types are high risk and can cause cervical cancer or abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix that sometimes turn into cancer. Others are low risk and can cause genital warts and changes in the cervix that are benign (abnormal but noncancerous).
Who gets genital HPV?
Anyone who has any kind of sexual activity involving genital contact could get genital HPV. Because many people who have HPV may not show any signs or symptoms, they can transmit the virus without even knowing it.
HPV is more common than you might think, In 2005, approximately 20 million Americans had genital HPV. More than 6 million new cases of genital HPV are diagnosed in the United States every year.
How do I know if I have HPV?
Because HPV may not show any signs or symptoms, you probably won't know you have it. Most women are diagnosed with HPV as a result of abnormal Pap tests. A Pap test (also known as a Pap smear) is part of a gynecological exam and helps detect abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix before they have the chance to become precancers or cervical cancer.
Many cervical precancers (changes that could lead to cancer) are related to HPV and can be treated successfully if detected early. That's why early detection is so important.
What happens if I get HPV?
In most people, the body's defenses are enough to clear HPV. If not cleared by the body, some HPV types cause genital warts. Other types cause abnormal changes in the cells lining the cervix that can lead to precancers and even turn into cervical cancer later in life.
Everything about HPV is not covered in this information. Talk to your healthcare professional for more information.
Cervical Cancer
What is cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix. The cervix is the part of the uterus that connects the upper part of the uterus (the womb) and the vagina.
Cervical cancer is a serious condition that can be life threatening. When a woman becomes infected with certain high-risk types of HPV and does not clear the infection, abnormal cells can develop in the lining of the cervix.
If not discovered early and treated, these abnormal cells can become cervical precancers and then possibly cancer. Most often this can take a number of years, although in rare cases it can happen within a year.
Who gets cervical cancer?
About half of all females diagnosed with cervical cancer are between 35 and 55 years old. What many of these women may not realize is that they were most likely exposed to one of the high-risk types of HPV during their teens and 20s.
The American Cancer Society estimated that in 2005 there were 10,370 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in the United States, and 3,710 women died from the disease.
How do I know if I have cervical cancer?
The usual way to detect cervical cancer is through a Pap test. If the results of a Pap test indicate that you have abnormal cervical cells, it's important to follow your healthcare professional's recommendations for more testing, such as repeat Pap testing, HPV DNA testing, colposcopy (examination of the cervix through a magnifying device), and possible biopsy (obtaining a tissue sample for analysis in the lab).
How is cervical cancer treated?
The three main methods are surgery (an operation to remove the cancer), radiation therapy (using high energy beams to destroy cancer cells), and chemotherapy (using medications to disrupt the growth of cancer cells). Sometimes treatment includes two or more of these methods.
Before choosing a treatment, a healthcare professional will consider the size of the cancer, whether it has spread, the woman's age and overall health, and patient preferences. The treatment that is right for one person may not be the right treatment for someone else.
Abnormal Cervical Cells
What are abnormal cervical cells?
Abnormal cervical cells (also called cervical dysplasia) are cells in the lining of the cervix that have changed in appearance.
The more severe the cervical abnormality, the more likely it is that cervical cancer could develop in the future. Most often this can take a number of years, although in rare cases it can happen within a year.
What causes abnormal cervical cells?
Abnormal cervical cells may have a number of different causes, such as an infection or inflammation, but are commonly caused by certain types of HPV (Human Papillomavirus).
How do I know if I have abnormal cells?
The usual way to detect abnormal cervical cells is through a Pap test. You may have additional testing, such as a repeat Pap testing, HPV DNA testing, colposcopy, and possible biopsy.
An abnormal biopsy result may be reported as CIN (Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia). The term CIN, along with a number (1 to 3), describes how much thickness of the lining of the cervix contains abnormal cells. A diagnosis of CIN 3 means there are severely abnormal cervical cells through the entire thickness of the lining of the cervix.
How are abnormal cervical cells treated?
Most abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix will eventually go away on their own. If the abnormalities are mild, the healthcare professional may choose to closely monitor them. If the abnormalities are more severe, removing these cells can almost always prevent cervical cancer from developing in the future.
Methods commonly used to treat abnormal cervical cells include freezing, removing them using an electrical instrument, and conventional surgery. The treatment may have to be repeated if the abnormal cells reappear.
Genital Warts
What are genital warts?
Genital warts are flesh-colored growths that are most often caused by certain types of HPV. Genital warts most often appear on the external genitals or near the anus of females and males. Less commonly, genital warts can appear inside the vagina and on the cervix.
Who gets genital warts?
Anyone who has any kind of sexual activity involving genital contact could get genital HPV, and certain types of HPV can develop into genital warts. Because many people who have HPV may not show any signs or symptoms, they can transmit the virus without even knowing it. After sexual contact with an infected person, genital warts may appear within weeks, months, years, or not at all.
Genital warts are very common. It is estimated that in 2003, there were over 260,000 new cases of genital warts in the United States alone.
How do I know if I have genital warts?
A healthcare professional can usually recognize genital warts just by seeing them. Genital warts often do not cause symptoms. In some cases; however, they may cause burning, itching, or pain.
How are genital warts treated?
Genital warts sometimes disappear on their own without treatment. However, there is no way to tell if they will disappear or grow larger. A healthcare professional may choose to apply a special cream or solution to the warts. Alternatively, some genital warts can be removed by freezing, burning, or using laser treatment. If these treatments don't work, they may be removed by surgery. There is a chance that genital warts can reappear after treatment, since the HPV that caused them may still be present.
Gardasil
What is Gardasil and what is it used for?
Gardasil is a vaccine (injection/shot) that helps protect against the following diseases caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Types in the vaccine (6, 11, 16, and 18):
Gardasil helps prevent these diseases-but it will not treat them. Your or your child cannot get these diseases from Gardasil.
What other key information about Gardasil should I know?
Who can receive Gardasil?
Gardasil is for girls and women 9 through 26 years of age.
Who should not receive Gardasil?
Anyone who:
Is allergic to any of the ingredients in the vaccine. A list of ingredients can be found at the end.
Has an allergic reaction after getting a dose of the vaccine.
What should I tell my healthcare professional before I am vaccinated or my child is vaccinated with Gardasil?
It is very important to tell your healthcare professional if you or your child:
Your healthcare professional will decide if you or your child should receive the vaccine.
How is Gardasil given? Gardasil is given as an injection. Your or your child will receive 3 doses of the vaccine. Ideally the doses are given as:
Make sure that you or your child gets all 3 doses. This allows you or your child to get the full benefits of Gardasil. If you or your child misses a dose, your healthcare professional will decide when to give the missed dose.
What are the possible side effects of Gardasil?
As with all vaccines, there may be some side effects with Gardasil. Gardasil has been shown to be generally well tolerated in women and girls as young as 9 years of age. The most commonly reported side effects include:
If you or your child has any unusual or severe symptoms after receiving Gardasil, contact your healthcare professional right away.
For a more complete list of side effects, ask your healthcare professional right away.
What are the ingredients in Gardasil?
The main ingredients are purified inactive proteins that come from HPV Types 6, 11, 16, and 18.
It also contains amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate, sodium chloride, L-histidine, polysorbate 80, sodium borate, and water for injection.
Who is at risk for Human Papillomavirus?
In 2005, the CDC estimated that at least 50% of sexually active people catch HPV during their lifetime. A male or female at any age who takes part in any kind of sexual activity that involves genital contact is at risk.
Many people who have HPV may not show any signs or symptoms. This means they can pass on the virus to others and not know it.
Will Gardasil help me if I already have Human Papillomavirus?
You may benefit from Gardasil if you already have HPV. This is because most people are not infected with all four types of HPV contained in the vaccine. In clinical trials, individuals with current or past infection with one or more vaccine-related HPV types prior to vaccination were protected from disease caused by the remaining vaccine HPV types. Gardasil is not intended to be used for treatment for the above mentioned diseases. Talk to your healthcare professional for more information.
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